THE PIONEER YEARS 1922-1950
This page is dedicated to the pioneer years of Vancouver & Victoria radio from 1922 to the launch of CKDA on Jan. 18, 1950. We launch with 15 photos from Vancouver radio's early years.
Photo
1: The CNRV Players, a Vancouver
group that presented some of Canada's earliest radiodrama, from a 1929
publicity photograph.
Photo
2: This rather futuristically posed
photograph was taken in the control room of CKFC in the Vancouver Stock
Exchange Building, ca. 1937. From left to right, the staff
members shown are Gordon Hodgson, Jeff Davis, Laurie Irvine and Earl
Beresford.
Photo
3: The
musicians in this 1942
photo
are Ray Norris (guitar), Chuck Barbour (trumpet), Curly Kemp
(accordion); Sonny Richardson (violin.) The pianist is
unidentified. Announcer Laurie Irvine used the surname "Irving"
on the air.
Photo
4: A giant radio receiver was
displayed in Vancouver's Victory Square in December 1931 to promote
radio sales.
Photo
5: This is The Daily Province
Merchants Exchange radiophone sending set which broadcasts news and
music each night to all points in British Columbia. The set work
on a 2000-metre wave-length and cost $7000 to install. High
River, Alberta 800 miles away and with mountain barriers intervening,
has picked up messages from this apparaatus. Mr. W. Tricker is
the operator who sends forth the news.
Photo
6: By
the time this photo was
taken
in 1926, First Congregational Church in Vancouver's West End had become
Central Presbyterian. The Church housed, in turn, two of
Vancouver's earliest radio stations--CFYC and CKFC. The building
was demolished in 1977.
Photo
7: Cyril Trott with the broadcasting
equipment of CKFC at Central Presbyterian Church in 1925. Trott
later moved the radio station to Chalmer's United Church at 12th &
Hemlock.
Photo
8: Arthur
"Spark" Holstead poses
with
the original CFDC transmitter in this 1944 publicity photo.
Holstead started CFDC in Nanaimo in 1923 and later moved it to
Vancouver, where it became CKWX.
Photo 9: CKNW:
Bill Rea and the
Rhythm Pals welcomed the Sons of the
Pioneers.
Photo 10: The
CKNW
Trio performed live on Ranger's Cabin.
Photo 11:
Esther and Alan Roughton were
featured in the domestic situation comedy "Mr. and Mrs." on CRCV in the
mid-1930s.
Photo 12: Bill
Fox
(left) as 'Barometer Bill' with Bill Hughes, 1948.
Photo 13: Ira
Dilworth directed the CBC's
operations in British Columbia from 1938-46.
Photo 14: The
control room of CBR's studio
C during a B.C. Schools Broadcast in the early 40s. From left to
right: Director of Schools Broadcast Kenneth Caple; unidentified;
technical operator Don Horne and producer Roy Dunlop.
Photo 15: It
was not unusual for radio
stations to have their own orchestras. The CKFC Concert Ensemble
(ca. 1937) was comprised of students from the Beresford School of
Music. Mr. L Beresford, Sr. (standing far left) owned the
school. His son, Earl (in front of the door) was part-owner of
CKFC. The four men standing to the right of the door are CKFC
staffers Jeff Davis, Laurie Irvine, Gordon Hodgson and Frank
Rutland. The "SBS" on the microphone refers to the Standard
Broadcasting System, which operated CKFC.
Photo 17:
Announcer Don McKim and
technicican Glen Robitaille marshal their energies for a broadcast from
Vancouver's Athletic Park.
Photo 18:
Children's programs
emphasizing
safety were popular in the 1930's and 1940's. Allan Klenman
(standing) was the studio technician for this broadcast of "The Crime
Safety Show" from CKWX's main studio ca. 1941.
Photo 19:
Operator Jack Hughes in one
of
CKWX's control rooms, ca. 1941. The equipment shown is "state of
the art" for the time. CKWX was among the first stations to
separate the roles of announcer and operator for all programming.
The announcer would speak from a separate booth while the operator
played the records and controlled the volume.
Photo 20:
Bill Tutte (left) and Ian
Arrol
at work in the CKWX newsroom, 1944.
Photo 21: A
skit in rehearsal at CKWX
during World War II. Left to right: Larry McCance, Peggy---, Fred
Bass, Barney Potts and Bob Hutton.
Photo 22: The
Programme Director, Rudy
Hartman, checks over a schedule. His job is to build up
programmes and see that they are carried out. 1942.
Photo 23:
CJVI's Special Events Department
in Action in a Lacrosse Game
Broadcast. From the left: Cyril Beard, Studio Engineer, Dick
Batey and Les Halberg, Announcers. 1942.
Photo 24:
N.V.
Chesnut, manager at CJVI, outlines a program for the program director.
1942.
Photo 25: In
the control room, Verne Groves, announcer, monitors a program. 1942.
Photo 27: Cliff Deaville, announcer at CFCT in 1929.
Photo 28: CKMO's Don Wilson draws news of the world from three teletype services. 1947.
Photo 29: CNRV's studio was housed in the Vancouver CPR depot. The ceiling is hung with sound-absorbing material.
Photo 30: Esther and Alan Roughton were featured in the domestic situation comedy "Mr. and Mrs." on CRCV in the 1930s.
Photo 31: Announcer Bill herbert recording a program "in the field" with technician Clayton Wilson in the 40s. Herbert's commentary is being recorded on a Model Y disk recorder. Wilson is ensuring that the strands of the cut acetate do not foul the cutting stylus.
Photo 32: During a drama rehearsal in CBR's studio A, actor-writer Fletcher Markle (left), confers with CBC producer Andrew Allan. In the background are cast members Al Pearace, Claire Murray, Peggy Hazard and Kathy Graham. The play in production is probably from the series "Baker's Dozen" written by Markle and broadcast in 1941 & 1942.
Photo 33: One of Canada's most popular radio programs. Two million Canadians tuned into the "Happy Gang" at the height of its popularity. (Keep in mind that in 2005, 2 million people watch "Hockey Night in Canada" and our population has risen more than 2.5 times.) The original Gangsters are from L-R: trumpeter Don Farnon, organist Kathleen Stokes, violinist Blaine Mathe, and leader and pianist Bert Pearl.
Photo 34: On Nov. 3, 1936, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation officially came into being. Here is the first night's programming from CRCV Vancouver:
From the
Province March 14, 1922: Broadcasting a budget of news and several
musical selections a radiophone service was inaugurated by The Province
on Monday night. More . . .
From the
Vancouver Sun SUN TO INSTALL WIRELESS SERVICE: The
Vancouver Sun is completing arrangements for the installation of a free
wireless and radiophone service for the people of British
Columbia. More . . .
A review of the first night's
broadcast:
SUN RADIO TELEPHONE BROADCASTS MUSICAL
NUMBERS AND NEWS
Latest news reports and a musical programme were broadcasted over The
Sun's radiophone last night. The news service consisted of a
digest of world happenings, while the musical programme included some
of the latest and best known selections. Two world news bulletins
were spoken slowly to order to be audible to all operators. There
will be another program tonight. Staring at 8:00 The Sun's
radiophone will broadcast a summary of the latest local and world
happenings in the form of news bulletins. From 8:30 until 9:30
there will be a musical programme of selected numbers. The Sun's
radiophone has been in operation for several days, since the
announcement of the inception of the service by this paper over a week
ago. It has been in communication with Seattle, and as far south
as San Francisco.
Announcements of programmes which will be broadcast
over the Sun's radiophone will be made daily.
WORLD'S
RADIO STATION READY TO BROADCAST AT 2 PM TOMORROW
From
Vancouver's World Newspaper March 22/1922
The World's radio broadcasting station is being erected today and
will be tested out tonight on a 360-metre wave length. A regular
programme is announced for tomorrow commencing at 2 pm. The
present
360-metre broadcast is a temporary one. Announcement will be made
in a
day or two in regard to a fixed wave length. Electrical radio
engineers are at present testing out and installing the new
broadcasting equipment and will determine after a few experiments the
most suitable wave length to use here in conjunction with the various
sizes of receiving sets suppled by the Trans-Canada Radiovox Co.
Ltd.
The programme
arranged for The World's radio broadcast tomorrow, on a 360-metre wave
length is as follows:
An article
from the Vancouver Daily World from March 23, 1922, the day their radio
station launched. After strenuous effort and a night of the most
thorough tests The World begins its broadcasting service today from its
high-power radio station on the Spencer Building. More . . .